The Oscar Slap
The timeline of the Oscar Slap has much value in the study of Personal Protection and Self-Defense. It has been preserved for posterity and study on video. The Guardian provides a short clip that shows it.
- Chris Rock makes his joke about “GI Jane 2.” = O second
- Will Smith laughs = +1 second
- Jada Pickett Smyth rolls her eyes = +3 seconds
- Chris Rock says, “Uh oh,” meaning Will Smith was already on his feet = +10 seconds
- Will Smith slaps Rock = +15 seconds
From the first indication something was going to happen, five or at most six seconds transpired.
Note the distances involved. Smith and Rock were no more than 25 feet (Near Phase of Public Space) apart.
Note also that Smith didn’t do a “Tueller Drill” on Rock. He walked purposefully but not even at a rapid pace to cover the 20 to 25 feet of ground.
Dr. Phil says “What bothers me? No one – no security or anybody came on the stage to protect Chris, and no one in Will’s camp – nobody stepped up to save him from himself.”
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dr-phil-reveals-bothers-him-080152453.html
Dr. Phil’s guest Exavier Pope, an attorney, legal analyst, and host of the podcast SuitUp, common tated, “He had a whole runway. That’s a lot of cooling time, not just for Will Smith but for anyone to have stopped him.”
Five seconds is NOT “a lot of time,” especially for something as unexpected as a Battery (Cal. Penal Code § § 242, 243) during a high profile televised Black Tie event.
Also observe that it took less than 10 seconds for Will Smith’s laughter at the joke to turn into violent action. The term “trigger” is appropriate.
When it’s least expected, you’re elected.
–John Farnam
For anyone who thinks this was staged, look at Will Smith’s face when he shouts “Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth” near the end of the clip. That’s genuine anger. BOLO for it and keep your distance.
In Memoriam: The Newhall Incident – April 1970
At 11:55 p.m., April 5, 1970, two Officers of the California Highway Patrol stopped a car for brandishing a firearm at another vehicle hours earlier. Minutes later, they and two other CHP Officers would lie dead in the parking lot of the restaurant where the stop took place. Their murderers would escape into the night, virtually unscathed in the gunfire.
Why I Like to Measure Things
#measurementmonday
Why do I like to measure things? Because until I do, I don’t really know what’s inside.
I dislike soupy oatmeal. Although I followed the package instructions, it still turned out like soup. When I used the package measurement, it didn’t. Measuring the actual amount of water from the package’s marker doesn’t hold as much water as it says and which the directions specify. One half a cup is quite a bit less than two-thirds of a cup.
What does soupy oatmeal have to do with personal protection? How would we know whether we’re “good shooters” https://youtu.be/qB7NKXEKewM?t=599 unless we measure our own level of competency?
There has been debate within the training community for a long time about standards of competency. Those arguments will probably never be settled. One possible starting point could be the level of marksmanship necessary to pass the NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting Course. To pass the Course, a shooter needs to be able to make five hits inside a 4 inch circle four times at 10 feet, no time limit.
The NRA doesn’t require that a shooter make the standard in four consecutive attempts. Someone keeping or carrying a pistol for personal protection probably should consider being able to do it every single time. Shooting the BOPS test would at least give you an idea of where your competency is. Here is a target for you to use.
My Fundamentals of Pistol Shooting Tier https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor?fan_landing=true is $1 a month on Patreon. The kickoff post, Dry Practice Circle Drill, is available to the public without subscribing. https://www.patreon.com/posts/64582173
CCW Safe Podcast – Encountering Home Intruders
CCW Safe interviewed me about my Five Year Analysis of the Armed Citizen for a podcast recently. The emphasis of this interview was incidents in the home. It is now available to read and listen to.
In Self Defense – Episode 97: Claude Werner on Encountering Home Intruders – CCW Safe National … https://ccwsafe.com/blog/in-self-defense–episode-97-claude-werner-on-encountering-home-intruders
Significant points for me in the interview were:
- Timing of the incidents
- Misapplication of the Tueller Principle
- Distinction between self-defense and personal protection
- Accessibility of weapons
Here are some Home Defense examples that have occurred more recently. As always, there are Positives and Negatives.
- Positive outcome
- https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/09/20/69-year-old-woman-shoots-kills-home-intruder-north-olmsted/ This was what I call a “Downrange event” where the defender had to shoot an intruder with an innocent party downrange of the shooter.
- Negative outcome
- https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/911-caller-says-canal-winchester-husband-shot-16-year-old-daughter-because-he-thought-she-was-an-intruder-12-29-2021 Yet another sad incident where a father inadvertently shot and killed his daughter because of a failure to identify the target prior to pressing the trigger. Practicing to say, “Who’s there?” could save a lot of grief.
- Unprepared for the event Negative outcome
- https://www.koin.com/news/crime/husband-stabbed-killed-confronting-intruder-in-rural-marion-county/ Couple attacked at home; husband killed, wife injured, attacker still at large. Months later, no announcement has been made that a suspect has even been identified much less apprehended.
It is was an interesting interview and worth listening to.
Friday Fundamentals
To kick off my new Fundamentals of Pistol Shooting Tier https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor?fan_landing=true on Patreon, I’ve chosen to use the Dry Practice Circle Drill.
The kickoff post is available to the public without subscribing. https://www.patreon.com/posts/64582173
I’m excited to offer this Tier so that for $1 a month people can learn how to shoot better than this and it won’t take years to do.
Priorities in Personal Protection
#mindsetmonday
Another excellent video featuring Ken Hackathorn has been posted on the Wilson Combat YouTube Channel. In it, he discusses what the real priorities are for Personal Protection.
Ken gives his view on priorities in this way:
But the most important thing you need to have is a proper mindset. And proper mindset; the way I explain it, is really broken down into three categories of importance.
- Number one, importance wise, is situational awareness.
- Second most important thing is decision making skills.
- The third one we all fall back on is combat marksmanship.
In 1759, the French philosopher Voltaire published his satirical novel Candide: or, All for the Best. From it the following ‘quote’ has often been derived.
Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her; but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.
Ken distills this into “Life sometimes deals you a bad card and you may be faced with combat marksmanship.”
My ebook Thinking Clearly about Self-Defense and Personal Protection goes deeply into the topics of awareness and decision-making. If you would like to purchase it, click on the image below.
This coming Thursday evening, March 24, 2022, those who want to develop and enhance their decision-making skills will have a unique opportunity. The Complete Combatant will be conducting an online evening class from 7-9:30 PM using Image Based Decisional Drills. IBDD was developed with a bit of input from me and I will be attending this particular session to observe, refresh, and learn. If you would like to join us, please click on the Reactionary Zones image below.
Setting Boundaries and Communication
One of the most important personal protection skills we can develop is to set boundaries and clearly communicate them. Simply saying NO! in a firm voice is the most concise method of doing it.
Although the comment has been made that I give my clients permission to be rude, that has evolved in my mind to simply giving permission to say NO! As a society, we have placed so much emphasis on consensus and negotiation that our ability to firmly set boundaries and communicate them has become sadly neglected.
When someone refuses to respect a boundary that you have set very clearly, their intent becomes immediately clear. That clarity allows us to make definitive decisions about our own course of action.
Practice saying NO! every day in your normal daily activities. You don’t have to be mean or discourteous about it, simply say it firmly and with conviction. Often, when you say it, the other party will physically react and rock back on their heels. You have utterly reset their OODA Loop at that point.
Armed Citizen® Podcast – February 2022
Incident #1
Defense related tasks
- Retrieve from Storage (handgun)
- Shoot with handgun
- Engage multiple adversaries
Original news reports
sandiegouniontribune.com, https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2021-08-06/police-searching-for-two-burglars-involved-in-la-mesa-home-invasion
timesofsandiego.com, https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2021/11/10/one-person-dead-another-wounded-in-early-morning-shooting-in-oceanside/
Incident #2
Defense related tasks
- Retrieve from Storage (handgun)
- Shoot with handgun
- Shoot in midst of others
- Shoot with non-threats downrange
- Engage multiple adversaries
Original news reports
komonews.com, https://komonews.com/news/local/employee-reportedly-shoots-suspects-in-armed-robbery-at-cannabis-store-in-spanaway
thenewstribune.com, https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article255990047.html
Incident #3
Defense related tasks
- Retrieve from Storage (handgun) or
- Draw to Challenge (verbalize)
- Hold at gunpoint until POlice arrive
- Maintain trigger finger discipline to preclude Unintentional Discharge during gunpoint
- Comply with POlice commands
Original news reports
humboldtgov.org, https://humboldtgov.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4341
Incident #4
Defense related tasks
- Draw from seated position (car)
- Shoot from seated position (car)
- Reholster safely
Original news reports
chicago.cbslocal.com, https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/11/29/ccw-holder-fires-gun-attempted-carjacker-roseland/
abc7chicago.com, https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-shooting-roseland-foid-card-concealed-carry-license/11284993/
Incident #5
Defense related tasks
- Retrieve from Storage (handgun)
- Shoot with handgun
- Shoot in midst of others
Original news reports
newstalkkzrg.com; https://newstalkkzrg.com/2021/11/30/homeowner-shoots-wounds-alleged-intruder-in-baxter/
Incident #6
Defense related tasks
- Retrieve from Storage (handgun)
- Shoot with handgun
- Shoot in midst of others
- Engage multiple adversaries
Original news report
q13fox.com, https://www.q13fox.com/news/deputies-homeowner-shoots-kills-intruder-in-spanaway
Historical Lessons – Gunpointing
Some lessons stand the test of time. Being prudent about whom guns are pointed at is one.
This is the first in a series of short videos that recall worthy lessons from historical films.
If you would like to purchase my ebook Real Shootouts of the LAPD, click on the image below.
ETA: This was posted on my Facebook page and it’s too good to not share.
Special Forces Advisor – The Big Picture
#throwbackthursday
A long, long way from northern Iran. In the airspace over North Carolina, that’s where the story of any Special Forces advisor really starts.
Note that at the time this film was made, Eye-ran was not our enemy.
North Carolina or North Iran, a jump’s a jump. The same tension as you shuffle toward the plane door, the same big lift in your chest as you see that silk billowing out above you, and the same hard meeting with Mother Earth.
And one thing more that’s the same for any Army man who comes down in a parachute, even at a tactics class, one part of our course at Fort Bragg Special Warfare School. When he lands, it may be the safe ending to a flight but his job is just beginning.
You five students know your part in this exercise. You’ve been dropped presumably into enemy-held territory but guerillas friendly to us are operating. You’re to link up with the guerrilla force in your area, train them in the tactics which we’ve been teaching you, and follow through on a bridge destruction mission with them.
My book Shooting Your Black Rifle seems appropriate to this series of films. If you would like to purchase it, click on the image below.
tacticalprofessor 
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